Tony Jacklin dealt with a lot as European captain at four Ryder Cups, but never had to play the role of peacemaker between two bickering players the way US captain Steve Stricker has at Whistling Straits.
As Ryder Cup week began on Monday, the feud between US teammates Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka was again in the spotlight.
Questions about their frosty relationship were still being asked on Tuesday and would likely continue until the first tee shots are hit in opening matches tomorrow, threatening to become a bigger distraction than their squabble already is.
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“It’s a bit childish in my view but it’s not my problem,” Jacklin said. “It’s a problem for the American team and the American captain, and it’s up to him to sort it out.”
“Obviously, it doesn’t bode well for team unity. I captained four times and I never experienced anything close to this situation,” he said. “All I know, from what I can gather, I would rather be in the European team room than the US team room.”
At media briefings Stricker has done his best to downplay the dispute that has been one of the biggest golf storylines of the year.
If he has brought an end to the long-running feud he would seem to have a future in mediation.
For years, Koepka has been critical of DeChambeau’s slow play.
That disdain went viral in May, when Koepka was caught rolling his eyes as DeChambeau walked behind him while recording an interview with Golf Channel after the PGA Championship in May.
DeChambeau, speaking to reporters at Whistling Straits on Tuesday said the quarrel has been driven by a lot of external factors.
He said that the two have all but settled their differences and even had dinner on Monday.
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